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Halven
Halven is an island situated at the tip of Kine’s Point, and surrounded by the Whitehorse Sea to the east, Whalesong Ocean to the south, and the Blue sea to the west. The island is separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of water, the Halven Channel. The north west of the almost circular island is dominated by a mountain chain, the Windwalls, from which the sources of the two principle rivers of the island emerge: the Darkwater, and the Fan. The Darkwater empties into the Blue Sea, at Darkwater Bridge, whereas the Fan stretches from the west of the island through Shadow Canyon, and widens into the Halfwater estuary. Eventually, the Fan empties into Halven Bay. Halven is separated into four administrative divisions, which largely correspond to the four quarters of the island, as well as geographical features and climates. From the north, clockwise, is Northfields, Halfwater, Brooks Triangle, and Snowpeak. Northfields This is a temperate and gently rolling country. Its western border starts at the eastern side of Darkwater Bridge, and follows the Darkwater until it turns west north of Darkwater Woods. The border follows the Woods, and then the easternmost slopes of the Windwalls, before following the line of the Fan west of Fanbridge. The border passes through Brooks Grove, and then along the Brooks, a tributary of the Fan. At Brooks Crossing, the border veers sharply to the east, following the Southway road and the northern border of Wolves Wood until it reaches the borders of the Fanwik Pale. On the eastern side of FAnwik, the border stretches a short way south from the First Fork river to the Bluewater. The inlet of the Bluewater joins with the Blue Sea, which confines the entire northwest section of Northfields. This coastal plain is known as the Blue coast, and is renowned for its calm waters, long beaches, and cold water corals. The gently rolling lowlands of the Blue Coast are home to the majority of Halven’s fertile land. It is an area of cereal crops, small villages, and hedgerows. As well as the lower section of the Fan, which meanders slowly through Northfields, the region also contains Ox’s Lake, the First Fork, Sec’d Fork, and Third Fork rivers, as well as their sources in Three River Marsh. This large area of wetland effectively separates the Bluewater and White Cape from the rest of Northfields, which means these areas are largely uninhabited. The western end of Northfields has a smaller wetland, Fanbridge Marsh, which extends to the foothills of the Windwalls. As such, the most direct route to Darkwater Bridge and Frey’s Ferry at the northern end of Halven necessitates a lengthy diversion around the Marsh, through Fanbridge and into Northfields. This has advantages for the local economy, as it brings the main road to the centre of the island into easy distance of many farmers of Northfields. As such, the loop of road is known as Markets Bend. To the south of the Fan, the area is dominated by the Wildboar Wood, along which the main north-south road runs, Fanbridge Way. Across the road is the smaller woodland Brooks Grove. Both these woodlands are deciduous and pleasant, with good hunting opportunities. Many woodsmen live in Wildboar Wood, making their living selling to merchants on the trading route along Fanbridge Walk. The other major population centre in Northfields is Brooks Crossing, where the Fanbridge Walk from the north meets the Halfwater Way from the south, and Underbrooks Road from the west meets the Southway from the east and Fanwick City. The smaller road leading to the northern end of Fanwik City is also in Northfields, meeting Fanbridge Walk at the southern end of Wildboar Woods.